Why am I doing this again?

Shaking out her fur, Felicity paused in the middle of the street, staring at the flood of lights ahead of her. Night had fallen now, but the darkness was filled with the yellow glow of city lamps. A special row of torches had been set out along the path she halted on.

Because I need to, her inner voice argued. I will feel better. I'll stop feeling this constant bitterness.

She wanted so hard to believe it. And yet, as she stood here now, she found herself thinking how easy it would be to turn back. To return home. Somewhere safe and comfortable, that involved no spite or vengeance.

A wolf crossed the path in front of her, bounding out of a nearby doorway to approach the house across the street. Lit with brilliant orange lamps, with the traces of bronze glittering in the firelight, Rowtag's mansion was even more impressive than it had been in the daytime.

She flicked her tail in annoyance, and the wolf looked up, his amber gaze flashing in her direction. Thankfully, there was no sign of recognition. The only wolves who would know who she was here were Rowtag and his two minions, who must already be inside, beginning the party.

So you can be like any other resident of the Gold District, her mind whispered. They won't know. They won't suspect. You can go in there and act like one of them.

Then comes revenge.

A shiver tickled her spine, and not from the cold. There was something so tempting about the idea. But she couldn't, could she? This was crazy. Just another grief-driven hatred.

"Oi!" yelled the stranger, taking a step towards her. His fur rippled with a leafy green. "You come for the party, sweetheart?"

It was a split second decision. It would be all too easy to say, "No, thank you," and walk back the way she'd come. She would never see him again.

But, of course, whatever controlled her voice box didn't agree. "Yes, I have," she called back. Her paws jogged over to him, darting around an open flame.

"Good." He slid in beside her, and she tried not to flinch away at the greasy sensation of his pelt. "Seems I got myself a pretty she-wolf." The words tingled in her claws, begging her to strike the disgusting noble, but she withheld. Keep up the act.

"And I'm glad I've found a handsome wolf of my own," she said in return. She forced a higher pitch, letting a light simper slide into her tone. It made her gag internally.

He laughed, a smooth cackle that reminded Felicity of thick sludge. "You got a name, darlin'?"

Opening her snout, she prepared to reply. But then she remembered. When you're pretending to be someone else, giving a wolf your real name would be rather idiotic. She swallowed, grappling for a reasonable name. "Uh... Calypso."

"Lovely." His breath tickled her ear. A bitter taste rose up in her throat, and she gulped, trying not to throw up. Thankfully, he chose the moment to pull away and head towards the sparkling house. She followed slowly.

It was the noise that hit her first as they entered. The sound of dozens of Gold District residents, all talking and laughing at their own ear-splitting volumes. These wolves had never needed to be quiet, Felicity realised. Their whole lives had involved nothing but forcing their way to the top, pushing others aside. They had never learned simple values such as manners.

Maybe that was just the dark voice talking. Yet it spoke in such a convincing way.

Much to her relief, the green wolf was immediately greeted by a small group of Toxiwylves, giving her a moment to slip away and into the depths of the crowd. Keeping her head down, she navigated through the writhing sea of bodies, her eyes surveying the dazzling room.

A haughty-looking Seawylf gave her a curious look, and she hurriedly straightened her back, forcing her neck upwards and angling her snout in the direction of the ceiling. She had to behave like them. Otherwise, they might suspect that she wasn't supposed to be here.

It was hard to see anything amongst the tall heads and chests, but she kept her eyes trained on any empty space she could find. Lifting herself up on her paws, she trotted past an Airewylf, his fur stained with the blacks and purples of the night sky, and ducked suddenly to the side as he flung out a shining silver wing. As she paused for a moment to admire the glittering feathers, his eyes met hers.

"Like what you see?" he asked, fluttering the wings at his sides. She nodded politely.

"Yes, you're quite stunning," she said in return, using the same sickly voice she'd forced on earlier. It constricted her chest.

"Would you like to further inspect me?" he invited, stepping closer. Startled, she staggered backwards. A tail collided with her hind leg; her penalty for standing still for so long in this crowd.

"No, thank you," she declined firmly. "I've already got an escort." Turning, she darted further into the party before the Airewylf could say anymore.

What is it with wolves trying to court me here? she wondered, deciding to avoid everyone's gaze from now on. Is this how Glitterwylves of this district are treated?

Stretching out her neck, she searched for another sign of pink fur. There was only one visible - a purple-pink wolf, far more graceful than Felicity, draped beside a burly Flamewylf. When she looked closer, she realised he was Rowtag, and hurried out of their eyeline.

Yes, she answered her own question. It seems we're just pretty ornaments here.

After another surveillance of the huge room, she spotted a grand staircase leading off to the right. Something had to be up there. With a flick of her tail, she knocked over a pile of deer bones balanced on a nearby table, sending them clattering to the floor. As all eyes snapped towards the sound, she slipped away, sprinting up the stairs two at a time and out of sight.

At the top, she paused, catching her breath. Muffled voices drifted up from the guests downstairs. She panted, the almighty weight of what she was doing pressing down on her lungs. Here she was, sneaking into the home of one of the most prestigious wolves in the capital.

Not just sneaking. Stealing.

Felicity shook herself upright, her eyes quickly taking in her new surroundings. Without a few dozen partying wolves, the elaborate decoration of the house became even more visible. The walls were all painted with dazzling yellows and oranges, curling and rising to form blurred flames reaching up to the wooden beams above her head. They themselves were adorned with fire-coloured banners, draped over elegantly, and shining with gold and silver laces.

Curling her tail, she tore her eyes away from the ceiling and focused on anything more immediate. Her task became clearer as she searched further. Many of the objects in this room would make barely a dent in Rowtag's vast fortune if misplaced - but just one or two was worth more than Kyra's entire livelihood.

It was only a small dose of revenge. He might not even notice. But it satisfied Felicity to know that she could remove some of that wealth, even if it was only a tiny amount.

Her claws caught the silk sheet of a bed, abandoned amongst this beauty. She laughed silently. Even this item of furniture, one wolves of all classes owned, still managed to look like an accessory.

Just as she was about to move on, a particular jewel beside the bed caught her eye. It was about the size of a young pup's head, yet it radiated an air of authority that made Felicity shrink under its gaze. The shiny surface split her reflection into a million pieces, so that the pale blue was scattered with shards of bright pink.

A diamond.

The biggest she'd ever seen.

This must have cost a decade's worth of hunting permits, she thought, tapping her paw backwards and forwards, afraid to step closer. She eventually forced herself to place it by the jewel, then immediately flinched away again. No, more than that. A lifetime's worth.

But not for Rowtag. When compared to the many other treasures that adorned the mansion, a diamond was just another pretty thing. Still... it had to be the most expensive thing she'd seen, by far. That was probably why she'd found it so close to his bed. He'd want to keep this one close.

He would notice if it was stolen.

It would make a difference.

Carefully, she reached out a paw and pulled the jewel towards her. The scraping sound stabbed into her ears and ripped huge gouges in her eardrums as it reverberated throughout the entire house.

Surely the party downstairs had heard. Surely one of them was charging up right now, ready to destroy her revenge mission for good.

Holding her breath, she listened. Hard.

Thank Luna. The stairs remained silent.

Still tensed, she curled her claws around the diamond and lifted it away, fortunately without another sound. It didn't quite fit in her claws, and she had to shift it a few times, her paw slipping across the smooth material, before finding a workable position wedged against her chest.

Her ears flicked, checking the air again. The only noise was that of the party, reduced to endless, indistinguishable muttering through the thick wooden boards. Gaze sweeping the room, she searched it again, but this time for an escape route.

A window, casting silvery beams that glinted from the jewelled ornaments, caught her eye. Firmly clutching the diamond, she limped towards it. Walking with one paw partially raised was something she'd always struggled with more than others, and doing it whilst holding an insanely precious and delicate gem didn't make it any easier. The muscles in her back legs strained, pushing her onwards.

Eventually, she reached the window, and shifted her hold to free her lifted paw. Jaw clenched, she reached out and pushed at the glass.

A wild shriek followed. In that moment, it felt like the loudest sound she'd ever heard. Clearly Rowtag's security system was more advanced than she'd given him credit for. Cowering against the piercing scream, she shoved more, widening the gap. Through the wall of noise, thumping paws reached her ears, summoned by the alarm. Someone was coming up the stairs.

Coming for her.

Terror pricked at Felicity's fur as she leant against the window, panting hard. The surface was achingly cold on her skin. The diamond slid in her grasp, and she quickly grabbed it in her teeth to free her forepaws.

With a final glance at the interior, clutching her prize in her jaw, she turned away from Rowtag's mansion and wriggled into the gap through the window. It felt like less of a leap of faith and more of a petrifying slither to freedom. It took all her energy not to bite her fangs together and force her fear on the dainty blue jewel.

As she slowly slid downwards, vague words drifted from the stairway, growing closer.

"... who would dare..."

"... never heard that alarm..."

"... Fog-born thief..."

Then, just as the pawsteps swung around a corner, Felicity gave one last squirm and the window released her into the night.